Bible Commentaries

And ¹ they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the ^a Gadarenes.

(1) Many hold the virtue of Christ in admiration, and yet they will not lose even the least thing they have in order to redeem it.

(a) {See (Matthew 8:30) }

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man ^b with an unclean spirit,

(b) Literally, "in an unclean spirit"; now they are said to be in the spirit because the spirit holds them tightly locked up, and as it were bound.

And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, [thou] Son of the most high God? I ^c adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

(c) That is, assure me by an oath that you will not vex me.

And he ^d besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

(d) The demon that was the spokesperson of the many.

Now there was there nigh unto the ^e mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

(e) This whole country is for the most part very hilly, for the mountains of Galeed run through it.

And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the ^f sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

(f) Strabo in the sixteenth book says that in Gadaris there is a standing pool of very polluted water, which if beasts taste, they shed their hair, nails, or hooves and horns.

And, ^g behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

(g) The whole company did not assemble without any structure, but in every synagogue there were certain men who governed the people.

² And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

(2) Jesus being touched with true faith, although it is but weak, heals us by his virtue.

³ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

(3) By faith fathers apprehended the promises of life even for their children.

⁴ And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them ^b that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

(4) Such as mock and scorn Christ are unworthy to be witnesses of his goodness.

(b) The three disciples.